


Labyrinthine Salvation

by Witchtomez



Series: Mysme Halloweek 2018 [8]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Introspection, Mysmehalloweek 2018, Past Child Abuse, prompt: Horror Stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-08-28 12:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16723191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Witchtomez/pseuds/Witchtomez
Summary: Rika never felt fear with horror stories; only sadness.





	Labyrinthine Salvation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TorterraGarden](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TorterraGarden/gifts).



> This is forewarning that this fic mainly features Rika and lightly references the abuse she endured as a child. If that is enough to make you want to skip this entry, please feel free to do so as I am aware of how polarizing a character she is. Those of you who still choose to read, I am grateful.
> 
> Special thanks to HollywoodCassieCage for her assistance in pinning down this story so I could write it properly

Rika never felt fear with horror stories; only sadness. 

For all her fair beauty and seemingly delicate nature, Rika was never one to shiver uncomfortably at a horror film or scary storytelling; the extent of her reaction would be a slight wrinkling of her brow or nose in distaste depending on the amount of ludicrous gore portrayed.

That isn’t to say she didn’t like genre altogether; Rika was particularly drawn to tales of the occult that dealt with supernatural abilities such as telepathy, witch craft and demonic summoning. Something about having powers hidden from the naked eye and being able to summon something that would be undoubtedly loyal was actually rather comforting from her perspective.

While most people would immerse themselves into the position of the potential survivors and heroes, Rika would often mentally critique and criticize the methods of the villains and their determination to be antagonists.

Because she often thought about what it would be like to have such abilities; powers to avoid pain, escape loneliness…the gift of being able to simply  _exist_ and to be able to defend their survival.

But with that came the dissatisfaction with the formula of the story: Why did the demons and monsters always have to be the villains for overly proud heroes to slaughter? Could there not be co-existence? Or would creatures of darkness only ever have the purpose of being destroyed in the light?

No one chooses to be possessed by a devil, yet the mere presence is enough to warrant an unending barrage to destroy and erase all evidence of existence. This truth had been beaten into her very early in life: to be chosen by evil is to invite constant misery and pain with no right to mercy.

But not once during any exorcism had she ever heard the reason  _why_ —why could there be no forgiveness or compassion for those who had no say in the matter? It was never as though she had asked to be born with sin, and seemingly no amount of repentance would ever suffice in this world.

Furthermore, why was her devil the evil one for telling her to live while everything else screamed for her to suffer and disappear?

Fear wasn’t the snarling beast, a howling ghost or creatures born of hellfire.

Fear was cold and empty rooms surrounded by loud fury; a silent dinner table with resentful glares to wither beneath. Pain was poorly hidden snickering and mocking laughter emanating from cruel eyes and sharp tongues; Agony was unyielding restraints and hard surfaces echoing with bellowed prayers and promises of abandonment by God should you refuse to cast out the only source of strength keeping you alive.

And Love?

Love was merely a complex trap to lure desperate fools into sacrificing their defenses for the empty promise of acceptance; insidious cruelty that pretended to offer a warm hearth to vulnerable souls—only to become an overwhelming blaze intent on consuming everything deemed unworthy and leaving nothing behind.

 _‘And yet…’_  she thought to herself in the rare quiet moments, ‘ _maybe no one knows what love really is…’_

The only experiences Rika had with love always came with conditions of sacrifice, submission and silence on her true feelings; failure to comply meant immediate withdrawal upon discovering her inherent sin. That  _couldn’t_  be love, no…

There is a period of time in her life where Rika remembers feeling a love where she never had to silence her tears or force a smile, but a sharp chill stabs at her heart to prevent further reminiscence.

She is sure she can define love—love that will strengthen and protect from cruelty and manipulation without threat of abandonment; Love that will accept darkness and sin, nurturing it into a shield and sword instead of demanding its death.

Rika never needed horror stories; she was already living and surviving them, forging a path that will allow her and others like her to thrive in spite of the world that would destroy them.

Her only fear was that she would still find no salvation at the end of her story; perhaps her dark strength would forbid any room for softness until she had saved everyone.

Rika’s horror story ended with love forever lost and forbidden to her—not because salvation was denied to her by the arrogance of mankind, but rather fate itself.

_Because how does darkness remain strong if there is nothing to rage against?_

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it to the end, thank you. Here’s the [song and lyrics](https://lyricstranslate.com/en/false-sympathy-false-sympathy.html-0) I used to help me focus my thoughts for this entry. See if you can spot why I got freaked out when this MV popped up on my youtube feed! (ಸ‿ಸ) Warning though, while there is no nudity, the video is rather…provocative…to risk playing in a work environment.


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